1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a power loading/unloading mechanism for a tape record/playback apparatus which is capable of improving an operability thereof.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In a tape player of such a type as widely used for a car tape player in which a tape pack is inserted horizontally from the front of the player, a loading operation is effected as follows: the tape pack is inserted horizontally to a predetermined position, the tape pack is then moved vertically to engage with reel shafts and capstans, a head and a pinch roller are put into the tape pack, and the reel shafts start their rotation. To unload the inserted tape pack, the aforesaid procedures are carried out in the reversed sequence. As can be easily understood, a considerable force is required to carry out these operations, and it has been proposed to utilize urging forces of springs and divide loads between various operations of loading or unloading to reduce the force required for loading or unloading. This mechanism, however, has a limitation in reduction of the required force, and there has been proposed a "power loading" which utilizes a driving force of a motor driving the tape pack loading operation to store forces on springs, thereby to reduce the necessary operating force. More specifically, in this power loading mechanism, most of the operations are carried out at the time of tape pack insertion and forces required for succeeding ejection are stored at the same time. Therefore, a considerable loads are imposed on the mechanism, which causes problems in durability of the mechanism or the motor or in power of the motor.